Lang alumni recognized at annual Gryphons on Bay Street

Over 130 Lang business alumni gathered downtown Toronto on Wednesday night for Gryphons on Bay Street, an annual event for U of G grads who are working in the GTA to connect and network.

This year’s event was also a chance for alumni to celebrate the recent naming of the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics and announce the recipients for this year’s Notable Alumni and 10x10 Alumni with Impact awards.

The Notable Alumniawards recognize Lang Business alumni who have held senior executive roles in some of today’s most successful companies and brands, revolutionized their industry, or have started a successful entrepreneurial venture.

Congratulations to this year’s Notable Alumni:

Linda Bowles | BASc, MSc

Partner, Deloitte (retired)

Linda was a senior audit and assurance partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP for over 33 years. She has been recognized for her leadership and empowering women in the business world and was recognized in 2011 as the recipient of the International Alliance for Women Award and the Canadian Women of Influence Award for her support of advancement of professional women in Canada. Linda has also travelled to the Artic and Northwest Territories to provide workshops to Inuit and First Nations organizations that discussed effective governance methods and financial statements.

Wendy Millar | BA, MA Economics

Chief Risk Officer, BMO (retired)

For over 30 years, Wendy held various leadership roles across BMO in corporate, enterprise risk and portfolio management, most recently as the Chief Risk Officer. She has sat on over 10 boards over the past 15 years, including the University of Guelph’s Board of Trustees. From 2001 to 2009, Wendy served as the director of the Children’s Aid Foundation and was the recipient of the WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2007 and 2008.

Sebastian Teunissen | BA Economics

Managing Director, Solidaridad

Sebastian is the managing director of Solidaridad, an international NGO that creates sustainable supply chains based on the belief that fair and sustainable trade can be a powerful catalyst to reduce poverty, build communities and protect the environment. Prior to his role with Solidaridad, Sebastian was in academia, teaching at Duke University and University of California. He is currently an adjunct professor in Lang’s School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management.

William Vastis | BComm

With over 20 years in the financial services industry, William is one of the top wealth advisors in Canada and is a director and vice-president of RBC Dominion Securities. In 2016, he was named Advisor of the Year at the Wealth Professionals Awards. Outside of his role at RBC, William is the founder of Compete to Complete, a charity that provides at-risk males suits to help in their job search.

Brenda Woods | BComm

Vice President, Marketing, VISA Canada

With over 30 years of marketing and brand management experience, Brenda is responsible for some of Visa’s most successful marketing and sponsorship campaigns. As VP of marketing, she oversaw the successful “Everywhere you want to be” and “smallenfrueden” campaigns, winners of a North American Effie and CMA award. Brenda is also a game-changer in the sponsorship field, leading brand activations at TIFF, Olympics, FIFA and NHL for Visa. She is also a member of the Lang’s International Institute for Sport Business and Leadership executive board.

The 10x10 Alumni with Impactawards recognize ten Lang Business alumni who have achieved rapid and significant growth in their careers and are within ten years of graduation. These alumni have garnered significant responsibility and influence within their respective industries.

Congratulations to all alumni award recipients. The Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics is proud of the impressive accomplishments by Lang Business alumni and look forward to seeing what’s next!

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The Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph is committed to developing leaders with a social conscience, an environmental sensibility and a commitment to their communities. We offer a wide range of specialized programs in business and economics across undergraduate, graduate and professional education.